Your Art Inspired by Purple Iris, a Silver Lining

Purple flowers and more purple flowers, and flowers with silver linings!

(The inspiration Image is at the bottom or the post.)

Lynn Hanousek: Red Tulips on a Gloomy Day

Facebook: Lynn Hanousek Designs
Acrylic on Canvas

Like Helen, I’ve planted bulbs for years and nothing. This year, something. Lovely red tulips bloomed in May to cheer me during the long, gloomy days of quarantining. Spurred on by their beauty, I have now planted tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. One tomato plant already has tomatoes! Brighter skies lie on the horizon.

Sara Harley: Dandelion Whine, a Silver Lining

saraharleyphotos.blogspot.com
Photographic Art

Most of our neighbours have pristine lawns of green grass (thanks to the pesticide companies) or yards completely filled with gravel. In contrast, our yard has been certified as a "Wildlife-Friendly Habitat" by the Canadian Wildlife Federation. We use no chemicals, and make every effort to help the wildlife in our little plot of land. Our neighbours might not be happy, but there is a silver lining. Dandelions, the early to bloom spring flowers, play a crucial role in the health of bees and other pollinators.

Deidre Townsend: Purple Pansies

Acrylic on Canvas

I love pansies, especially purple pansies. I wanted to do a bouquet of flowers for my step-mom’s birthday. Helen's irises were tempting, but I was scared to attempt. I figured I would tackle pansies first

March Inspiration 2: Purple Iris, a Silver Lining by Helen Eaton

When we moved into our home in the fall of 2001, 

I poked iris bulbs into the ground on our hillside.

The next spring their green flags were tall and beautiful... but no flowers… 

I waited another year... and another... and another... and another… 

Lots of green flags... zero flowers... ever... 

There were too many trees, too much shade... 

not enough sun for irises to bloom... ever...

In 2009 we had a devastating ice storm... branches broken, limbs splintered.

Then…  Surprise!  That spring purple irises covered the hillside!

Toppled trees and broken limbs let the sunshine in... A silver lining... 

Your Art Inspired by Yellow VW Beetle

Think happy today!
Enjoy the images in this fun grouping!

(The inspiration Image is at the bottom or the post.)

Darlene Awalt: Choose Kindness

Instagram: @dream.imagine.believe

Sara Harley: Yellow VW Beetle and Friend

Instagram: @saraharley.photos
Photographic Art

I originally planned to create something inspired by the colour yellow. I photographed a few different subjects throughout the month, but I kept thinking about a photo I took in 2018. Helen and I have often seem to have similar taste when it comes to creating images. I created something new using my old photograph. I simplified the background and applied some textures. Then I added a little something...because this beetle needed a friend!

Lindsey Gann: Time Machine

Instagram: @lindesy_g 
Wood Burning

March Inspiration 2: Yellow VW Beetle by Helen Eaton

I spy with my little eye… something that is…… YELLOW!

Is it the center of a daisy? …a sunset? …a chicken’s feet?

Is it a topaz ring? …a canary? ...the flames of fire?

Is it the middle traffic light? …a banana? …a glass of lemonade?

Is it a rubber duckie? …a taxi cab?... a smilie face?

Is it a number two pencil? … Sponge Bob? …a banana peel?

Is it a field of sunflowers? …autumn? …Big Bird?

Is it a school bus? …an egg yolk? …happiness!

Your Art Inspired by Resting Place

Relax and enjoy a "resting place" or two inspired 
by Sara's photograph, Resting Place.

(The inspiration Image is at the bottom or the post.)

Wendy @ Pieceful Thoughts: The Yellow Chair
https://www.piecefulthoughts.com/the-yellow-chair/
Quilt, 12'x 14.5"

We were driving along the north shore of Lake Superior after having learned of the death of a friend who had lived on its shores. We decided to stop and walk a bit in her honor. When I got down to the shore, there sat this yellow chair – an old vinyl chair from those Formica kitchen table sets of the 60s. It was a bit worse for wear, but it was there, upright, waiting. I wondered what memories were hidden in it. Where did it come from? Who uses it, or was it just abandoned? Why was it sitting on the shore facing the lake so expectantly?  

Helen Eaton: Best Friends Forever
https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/
Original Oil Painting, 12"x 16"

Gus was there to greet this little one when she came home from the hospital, and he spent the next decade at her side… best friends through thick and thin.

Sometimes our “resting place” is only complete with that special furry friend at our side.

Good dog, Gus. Good dog.

Whitney Eaton: Spot for a Pot

Instagram: @whitneykay93
Floral Design

I’ve got the quarantine blues... I haven’t been in a creative painterly mood. I miss going to the book store. I miss going on dates with my husband. I miss seeing the faces of people that are now hidden under masks. One of the things that has brought me joy in these last few months is plants! It started with planting vegetable seeds inside and watching them turn into little seedlings. Then planting some colorful annuals. Then transferring my seedlings to my outdoor garden. And my newest obsession, houseplants! Plants have brought lots of color into my otherwise blue feeling! 

May Inspiration: Resting Place by Sara Harley

The current state of emergency has changed my walking routine, and my dog Riley and I have been taking a new route for the past few weeks. We walked the route many times before I noticed this chair up on a hill off the trail. Someone made an effort to put it there, and it seems a peaceful resting place. I love finding things in unexpected places.
Resting Place
1. a place where people can stop and rest 2. a place where someone is buried 3. a place where something has been put

Your Art Inspired by Relish the Moment

What an intriguing work of art inspired by Sara's Relish the Moment photograph 

(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Helen Eaton: Homemade Pickles You'll Relish

https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/

Oil on Canvas,  10"x 10"

·               Thinly sliced cucumbers (6-ish cups)

·                Thinly sliced onions (1+ cups)

·                White vinegar (to cover... 1-2 cups)

·                1 cup sugar

·                1/2 teaspoon salt

·                1 teaspoon mustard seeds 

·                1/2 teaspoon celery seeds 

·                1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

·                Combine vinegar and spices in a saucepan

·                Bring to a boil for a minute while stirring 

·                Pour vinegar mixture over cucumber and onion slices

·                Cool, cover, and marinate in refrigerator

·                If you need relish, just take some out and chop it up!

 ***Feel free to use more or less of each ingredient.

Nelvia McGrath: Mind of an Artist

Instagram: @nelviamcgrath

Collage/Acrylic 11"x 14"

This idea began because I emptied my pencil sharpener’s shavings.   

Thought I could collage these into an interesting pattern.  

Next came the surreal head with art supplies coming out of it 

(sorry one mangled Dick Blick catalog).  

So many ways to make a picture and show how we “relish” life.

April Inspiration 3: Relish the Moment by Sara Harley

In 2019, I started my "Dirty Dishes" series, in which I photograph interesting patterns I find on our dishes waiting to be washed.
You may see a plate of left over relish. I see a joyful celebration of confetti. Take joy in the simple things. Relish the Moment: 1. to savour or enjoy and experience to the full. 2. to anticipate eagerly; look forward

May Inspiration

Take a moment to look at each of the Inspiration Images and read the thoughts.   Is there one that speaks to you? One that gives you an idea? One that inspires you to create?  Your art can be any medium of your choice...  oil painting, stained glass, colored pencil,  needlework, woodwork, pen and ink, charcoal, photography, mixed media, poetry, watercolor... Whatever is your favorite!  We look forward to seeing your art!

Click HERE for instructions on how to submit your work.

It's always a pleasure to look at all the submissions that come in.  Every one of them causes us to smile as we think, imagine, and enjoy the art and the artist's thoughts.  YOUR art belongs here with ours!  We can't wait to see what you create! Join us!

May Inspiration 1: Purple Iris, a Silver Lining by Helen Eaton

When we moved into our home in the fall of 2001, 

I poked iris bulbs into the ground on our hillside.

The next spring their green flags were tall and beautiful... but no flowers… 

I waited another year... and another... and another... and another… 

Lots of green flags... zero flowers... ever... 

There were too many trees, too much shade... 

not enough sun for irises to bloom... ever...

In 2009 we had a devastating ice storm... branches broken, limbs splintered.

Then…  Surprise!  That spring purple irises covered the hillside!

Toppled trees and broken limbs let the sunshine in... A silver lining... 

May Inspiration 2: Relish The Moment by Sara Harley

In 2019, I started my "Dirty Dishes" series, in which I photograph interesting patterns I find on our dishes waiting to be washed.
You may see a plate of left over relish. I see a joyful celebration of confetti. Take joy in the simple things. Relish the Moment: 1. to savour or enjoy and experience to the full. 2. to anticipate eagerly; look forward

May Inspiration 3: Yellow VW Bug by Helen Eaton

I spy with my little eye… something that is…… YELLOW!

Is it the center of a daisy? …a sunset? …a chicken’s feet?

Is it a topaz ring? …a canary? ...the flames of fire?

Is it the middle traffic light? …a banana? …a glass of lemonade?

Is it a rubber duckie? …a taxi cab?... a smilie face?

Is it a number two pencil? … Sponge Bob? …a banana peel?

Is it a field of sunflowers? …autumn? …Big Bird?

Is it a school bus? …an egg yolk? …happiness!

May Inspiration 4: Resting Place by Sara Harley

The current state of emergency has changed my walking routine, and my dog Riley and I have been taking a new route for the past few weeks. We walked the route many times before I noticed this chair up on a hill off the trail. Someone made an effort to put it there, and it seems a peaceful resting place. I love finding things in unexpected places.

Resting Place
1. a place where people can stop and rest 2. a place where someone is buried 3. a place where something has been put

Your Art Inspired by Strength & Hope

We all need a little Strength & Hope during this time of global pandemic.

Sharing encouragement through our art.

(You can see the Inspiration Image at the bottom of this page.)

Julie Brandt: Statue of Liberty

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints

Oil on Canvas, 11"x 14"

In response to Sara’s Strength and Hope, I would like to submit my weary Statue of Liberty who is trying to stay strong during our country’s political and environmental tragedies.

Deidre Townsend: Pink Roses 
Acrylic on Canvas

When I think of roses, I think of home. We had a big rose garden at my home where I grew up. I remember my parents building it and planting it. My dad even built a bird bath for it.  It was right below my mom’s bedroom window. She fought breast cancer with strength and hope. Those roses and her windows always make me think of her fight. I painted them pink because that’s the color of breast cancer awareness ribbons. Julie Brandt’s Red Buds inspired me as well.

Julie Brandt: Red Buds

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JujuBeePaints 

Oil on Canvas

Who ever named redbuds?  They are pink! Every spring my redbud tree just thrills me.  I get so tickled that the blossoms grow up and down the trunk and all along each branch in little bunches.  One year we had a late ice storm, and ice encased each blossom.  It was beautiful, but I didn't want to paint something that felt so cold in this time when I needed sunshine and hope.  This painting made me very happy.

Lynn Hanousek: New York Strong
Facebook: Lynn Hanousek Designs
Acrylic and Permanent Marker on Canvas,  8"x 10"

Every evening at 7:00 PM New Yorkers open their windows, go to their balconies and stand at their front doors to clap, cheer, sing, ring bells and bang on pots to cheer our heroes: healthcare workers, first responders and all those essential services who keep our city safe and running while we isolate due to covid-19. On April 13, after the 2 minute daily cheering, a rainbow arched its way across the entire city. All who saw it were amazed and filled with hope. My inspiration was drawn from the beautiful sky in Sara’s photograph, Strength and Hope.

Helen Eaton: Spring Comes
https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/
Oil on Canvas,  8"x 10"

Winter is cold, gray... but... spring comes.
The news is sad, scary... but spring comes.
Coronavirus occupies thought, conversations... but spring comes.

We begin our fourth week of being home.  It's been even longer for my daughter's family in the East where numbers are staggering.  She sent me a photo from outside their apartment and said, "The cherry blossoms are blooming anyway."

Sara says, "... there is always some beauty to be found, some hope to carry on."
Blossoms bring hope of fruits and the coming green.  Nest eggs bring hope for new life and  song.
Spring comes... and brings hope.

March Inspiration 4: Strength and Hope by Sara Harley

In our present state of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wanted to create an image of strength and hope. This image is a combination of two photographs I took on a recent walk while "social distancing". Trees have always been a symbol of strength for me. The group of birch trees are standing together, symbolizing that we may be physically apart, but if we stand together, we can be strong. The background is from a rusted car, symbolizing that there is always some beauty to be found, some hope to carry on.

Your Art Inspired by Two By Two

Enjoy these works of art inspired by Sara's Two by Two photograph 

(The inspiration image is at the bottom of this post..)

Darlene Awalt: Forget-Me-Not and Be Strong on the Wave of Change

Instagram: @dream.imagine.believe

Nelvia McGrath: Let Me In...

Instagram: @nelviamcgrath

Acrylic 11"x 14"

Water reflections let you see things from a different perspective

A child views the world through fresh eyes

Each experience fascinates

Underwater views pulse with life and colors

Remove the glass so I can touch

Let me in ...

Helen Eaton: Grace Reflected

https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/

Oil on Canvas, 11"x 14"

Coronavirus controls and consumes our conversation, activities, thoughts, and lives. 

It's a good time to be reflective and to practice grace - give it, ask for it, watch for it.

Grace: /ɡrās/ noun   1. simple elegance  2. courteous goodwill. 

3. beauty of form 4. unmerited favor 5. refined movement

Reflection: /ri-flek-shuhn/ noun  1. mirroring 2. careful consideration

3. serious thought of a subject, idea or purpose

April Inspiration 3: Two By Two by Sara Harley

This image is a combination of several of my favourite things to photograph, all captured in one image when walking along the river one morning. Reflections, century old homes, trees, and birds...all in one snap of the shutter. I could also have titled this image "Reflections", because that is what many of us are doing right now. Life has changed, and many of us have more time on our hands to ponder and re-evaluate what things are important to us.